Modern wire manufacturing processes often require fast response and quick corrective action to prevent production delays. For example, recently developed high speed wire manufacturing processes in which a heavy gage wire is drawn down to a smaller size, e.g., #12 AWG to #22 AWG, can experience faults which, if not rapidly corrected, can cause expensive production shutdowns. Factories for making such wire may consist of a large number of such production units spread over a wide expanse and staffed only by a small number of maintenance personnel on an around the clock basis. Unfortunately, present alarming systems for detecting faults and producing audio and visual alarms are sometimes inadequate in providing sufficient information to immediately direct the maintenance personnel to the source of the problem in time to prevent production shutdowns.
In co-pending application Ser. No. 788,990, a LOW COST VERBAL ANNUNCIATOR having the same inventive entity and assignee as the present application, is disclosed. Several unique sensors developed for use with that annunciator are disclosed in that application. Included among those unique sensors is the wire tangle sensor which is claimed in this application.